1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a railway car body structure and the method of making them. More particularly, the present invention relates to a railway car body structure and the corresponding method, which will be suitable for a railway car body which runs at a high speed at which an outdoor pressure chance provides an offensive feeling to passengers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With an increase in a running speed of a railway car body structure, weight reduction of the body structure itself has been attempted. One such proposal constructs plate members and frame members that make up the body structure by a light weight alloy such as an aluminum alloy. Or, plate members and frame members may be integrally formed to produce shaped members, which constitute the body structure. Such a body structure is described, for example, in "Light Metal Rolling Stock Committee Report No. 3" (1974-1977, published by Japan Association of Rolling Stock Industries Corporation), pp. 90-72.
An example of a railway car using an aluminum honeycomb sandwich panel for floor plates so as to reduce the weight of a car body is described j.n Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 183007/1979 and No. 179569/1985 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 193760/1990. The aluminum honeycomb sandwich panel is produced by superposing surface materials and core materials of an aluminum alloy and bonding then together by a resin-boarding material.
An example of a railway car using the honeycomb panel for the plate members for constituting the roof or the floor is described in EP 0354436 A1 and FR 2635064 A1. However, these reference do not explain in detail by which the bonding of the honeycomb panel and the frame member or mutual bonding of the frame members is effected in these railway car bodies. Only one explanation given thereby is to the effect that the honeycomb panel and the frame member are joined by rivets.